Happy Holidays
by tyrranus-3-oiche
Summary: A vacation in Paradise, but is it?For fifteen years, slacker Naruto Uzumaki and straight-laced Sasuke Uchiha have been best friends, despite the numerous scrapes Naruto has gotten them in. When Naruto invites Sasuke to come with him on a working vacation,
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Naru forked out another bite of mu shu pork from the little white carton

and leaned forward, his trademark grin completely absent. "So, would you pretend

to be my boyfriend?"

Sasuke Uchiha stared at his old friend for what felt like forever, completely

taken aback.

"Come on, Sasuke. Sakura's driving me crazy. She shows up everywhere I

go! It's like she's stalking me. And you're not dating anybody right now or

anything. You've got to help me out here!" Naru grinned, using that wheedling

tone Sasuke had always hated. His unusual eyes, one blue, one red, begged

Sasuke to agree. "What could go wrong?"

What couldn't go wrong? Sasuke's mind boggled trying to catalog all the

potential problems that could come up. No matter how annoying this Michelle

was, there was no way he could play along. Of all the bad ideas Naru had ever

had—and there.d been a lot of them over the years—this was by far the worst.

"No."

Naru's puppy-dog-eyed look infuriated him even more.

"No way."

When Naru still didn't appear to be getting the message, Sasuke threw up

his hands in frustration. "No, no, a thousand times no! This is the stupidest idea

you've ever had, and that's saying something. Even you have to admit this is

idiotic."

Naru actually looked a bit insulted. "It's not idiotic. You'd see if you'd give

me the chance to explain."

Unable to watch him one second more, Sasuke turned his back. A chaotic

mixture of hurt, anger, confusion, and too many other feelings to identify

narrowed into one focus: escape. "I thought you were my friend, Naru. I'm out of

here." Grabbing his jacket, Sasuke fled his friend's apartment.

Though he could hear Naru calling after him, he strode down the hallway.

Not wanting to wait for the elevator, he took the stairs. After a couple of flights,

his emotions cooled a bit and he slowed down. Unfortunately, he also had plenty

of time to think. Of course, his thoughts immediately focused on the bizarre and

ridiculous favor his supposed friend had just asked of him.

Pretending to be dating to get rid of a ditzy but persistent would-be

girlfriend was weird, even for Naru. He frowned, thinking hard. Why would

Naru ask him to do something like that? Was he trying to mock him somehow?

At the very least, his supposed friend wanted to use him, which had taken him

completely off guard. He'd always thought Naru was the one person he could

count on never to use him for anything. While other people had attempted to

make friends with him because of his family money, or his father's political clout as

a US Senator, Naru's own family money had kept them on equal terms.

Their nearly fifteen-year friendship had begun when they'd both attended

the same private school in seventh grade. Because of their last names, Uchiha and

Uzumaki, they'd ended up in the same homeroom class. Naru had sat next to

him, and asked his name. When he answered, Naru laughed and said they had to

be friends since he was boring and he was active. Together,

Naru explained, they'd almost be like one normal person. That was the kind of

crazy thing Naru thought made sense. Though Sasuke had never stopped

thinking Naru was crazy most of the time, they had remained good friends

throughout high school and college. Despite the many scrapes Naru got them

both in, he was always there for Sasuke when it counted.

He'd come out to his friends and family four years ago, and of all his friends,

Naru had taken the news the best. Other friends had seemed nervous around him

for a while, or even stopped talking to him, but Naru had only said, "Whatever,"

and acted like nothing had changed.

What would Naru have to gain by pretending to be gay? Rather than

pretending to date his straight friend, Sasuke should be spending his time looking

for someone to actually go out with. Besides, what if Naru's family found out?

When Naru came clean about the lie, everyone would be angry. And who could

blame them? Had he even thought about his idea at all before he'd suggested it?

Sasuke's mind still whirled as he reached the parking garage. The ringing of

his cell phone momentarily distracted him, but he ignored it. The only people who

would be calling him right now would be his parents or Naru, and he didn't feel

like talking to anyone. Unlocking his dark blue BMW, he opened the door and

tossed the phone into the passenger seat. When the phone bounced off and fell to

the floor instead, he growled in irritation.

Sasuke ignored the little chirp telling him the caller had left a voice mail and

drove out of the parking garage toward his place. The idea of spending the rest of

the evening at home with his thoughts didn't appeal, but neither did going

anywhere else. He suddenly felt tired.

As he pulled into a parking spot near his condo a few minutes later, he

wondered if he should have stayed and listened to Naru's explanation. Could he

have overreacted? His own sensitivity about his sexuality, and his single state,

might have made him angrier than he ought to be. Maybe his friend would have

apologized and let the subject drop, and there wouldn't be this potentially

friendship-ending issue standing between them. The idea of losing Naru.s

friendship after all these years hurt.

By the time he reached his place and went inside, however, he felt convinced

he'd done the right thing. Naru had been talking him into stupid things for years.

Sasuke refused to let him do it this time.

This time, Naru would have to solve his problem on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"That went well."

Naruto "Naru" Uzumaki stared at the doorway his friend had

stormed out of moments before, confused and concerned. No one would ever call

him the sharpest crayon in the box, but he couldn't figure out exactly what had

gone wrong. One minute he and Sasuke had been talking, and the next his friend

was glaring at him with those icy gray eyes as if he'd kicked a puppy or something.

Frowning, he picked up his phone and dialed Sasuke's number. To his

annoyance, there was no answer. He left a voice mail anyway, not that he thought

Sasuke would be listening to his message anytime soon. Sasuke didn't get mad

often, but when he did he was serious about it.

Remembering the look on his friend's face, a combination of anger,

confusion, and maybe even a bit of hurt, Naru started to feel guilty. The idea of

pretending to be gay in order to get rid of this girl who was determined to be Mrs.

Uzumaki had seemed like a good one at first, but Sasuke's reaction made him

wonder if it was a stupid idea after all. He hadn't expected Sasuke to get upset.

He'd thought they'd laugh about the whole thing and then get rid of his overly

persistent would-be girlfriend.

The more he thought about what he'd said, the worse he felt. He was a jerk.

A total jerk. Sasuke had stuck by him since seventh grade, no matter what stupid

crap he'd gotten them into, and this was how he repaid him? No wonder everyone

thought he was a screw-up.

An apology was in order, at the very least. Maybe even groveling. Sighing, he

went looking for his jacket. If Sasuke wouldn't answer his phone, he'd have to go

and talk to him in person.

By the time he arrived at Sasuke's, Naru still wasn.t sure what he was going

to say. All he knew was he needed to make things right. He'd stopped at a

convenience store on the way and picked up some of his friend.s favorite candy, so

at least he was ready to suck up.

Pasting on his best sorry-I-screwed-up grin, which he had considerable

practice at, Naru knocked on the door. After a couple of minutes, the door

opened partially and Sasuke peered out.

"What do you want, Naru?" His expression was shuttered.

"I came to apologize. I brought a peace offering." He held up the box of

gummi bears.

For a long, nerve-wracking moment, Naru thought Sasuke would shut the

door on him. Then his friend's mouth twitched slightly. "You brought me Care

Bear gummi bears?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Of course. Care Bears make everything better."

Sasuke laughed and opened the door the rest of the way. "You're crazy. I

guess you can come in."

He went in and sat on the sofa. Sasuke joined him after a couple of minutes,

carrying a bottle of water. Rather than sitting on the other end of the sofa as he

normally would, though, Sasuke sat in the armchair. Naru frowned. Clearly his

old friend wasn't ready to forgive him yet.

Leaning forward, Sasuke held out a hand, face serious. "Make with the

gummi bears."

That surprised a laugh out of him. He quickly handed the box over, and

while Sasuke tore it open and dug out a few gummi bears, he thought about what

to say. He.d never had much of a way with words. Stalling seemed like a good idea,

at least until his friend eyed him expectantly. He sighed. "I've been thinking about

what I asked you earlier. You're right, I was totally out of line. I'm sorry."

Letting out a sigh of his own, Sasuke leaned back in his chair. "I may have

overreacted a little. I just couldn't believe what you were asking me to do. Did you

even think about what would happen if your family found out?"

Puzzled, he frowned. "How would they find out?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe because you work for your dad? You wanted this

girl to know, and pretty soon everyone would know."

He still didn't get why Sasuke was upset. His dad was a pretty open-minded

kind of guy, and Sasuke's parents already knew their son was gay. What was the

big deal? "So what?"

Giving him an irritated look, Sasuke ground out, "It would all be a huge lie,

that's what!"

The light bulb went on, and he felt like an idiot. Of course everyone would

be pissed when they found out he was faking everything. "Oh, yeah. I see what you

mean now." He slapped himself on the forehead. "I'm such a dumbass. Tell me

again why you put up with me?"

Popping a few small, colorful candies into his mouth, Sasuke smiled at him.

"I'm in it for the gummi bears."

Naru laughed, relieved. Apology accepted.

Too bad that wouldn't save him from a certain overly-persistent woman.

_Tyrranus: I hope you like it so far! _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_Enjoy!!_

Yawning behind his hand, Sasuke looked around the crowded room. He

hated stuffy society parties. The only reason he'd even agreed to come was Naru.s

promise to keep him from getting bored, yet he'd been here an hour without a sign

of his friend. There were a hundred other things he could be doing right now,

including finishing the designs he had promised his boss. Even laundry would be

more entertaining than this party, with its pretentious conversations and dull

company.

Just as he was about to give up and leave, he spotted a familiar blond head

across the room. Their eyes met, and his friend grinned brightly. About halfway

across the room, however, a cute young woman in a black cocktail dress stepped

into Naru's path. Instantly, Naru's face changed. Sasuke recognized the

expression immediately, even if no one else would have. His friend's normally open

expression became closed off, eyes flat and smile fake. Despite his irritation with

Naru for being so late, Sasuke started across the room to come to the rescue.

By the time he reached them, the little red-head had wrapped her hands

around Naru's bicep. "I was hoping you'd be here so we could talk. I feel like I

haven't seen you in forever, Ruto!"

Ruto? Sasuke stopped in his tracks. No one ever called Naru "Ruto," not

even his parents. The nickname and the cooing tone seemed to insinuate closeness

between the red-head and his friend, but Naru's trapped expression told a different

story. This must be the girl he'd been trying to get rid of.

"I've, uh, been really busy, Sakura. Working and stuff, you know?" Edging

away from her, Naru gave Sasuke a look that screamed save me.

He tried not to laugh.

"Ooh, you poor thing!" She gave him a sympathetic look. "You work too

hard. Why don't you come sit with me and relax? I could go get you a plate of

food?"

Naru suddenly seemed unable to string a sentence together. "Um—"

An evil little voice in Sasuke.s head suggested leaving his buddy to deal with

his own problems. For a long moment, he considered the idea. Would his friend be

able to talk his way out of his predicament? No, that would be too mean.

Before Naru could say anything more, Sasuke approached them. "There you

are, Naru. It.s about time you got here."

Sakura bit her bottom lip. "Who's this, Ruto?"

"This is Sasuke. I promised to meet him here an hour ago. got some

business to discuss. Sorry, Sakura." The grateful look he gave Sasuke was

anything but apologetic.

"Sorry to steal him away, Sakura. It was nice to meet you, though." Giving

Sakura a big smile, he grabbed Naru's arm and steered his friend away while the

girl stood there pouting.

The second they were far enough away not to be overheard, Sasuke released

Naru's arm, his earlier annoyance returning. "I thought about leaving you there

with her. You know the only reason I came tonight was because you asked me to."

His friend gave him a sidelong glance. "I know. I'm sorry. I got stuck doing a

bunch of paperwork, and you know how much I suck at it. Took me forever."

Rolling his eyes, he let go of his irritation. "Well, you should have called me.

I would've rather been doing paperwork than hanging out here by myself. Kiba

still acts like my gayness will rub off on him or something, and Regina nearly

talked my ear off about some hideously dull society fundraiser."

"Thanks for staying, man. Really. I don't know how I would have escaped

Sakura if you hadn't been here. One night I couldn't get away and had to listen to

her for like forty-five minutes. I owe you big time."

Sasuke laughed, amused as always by his friend's theatrics. "You just wait.

When I call in all the favors you owe me, you're going to be sorry."

"Nah, never. If you ever need anything you know I'll be there, right?"

Meeting Naru's sincere, mismatched eyes, he felt oddly touched. "Sure."

"Good. Now let's go find some food. I'm starving!" Naru bumped their

shoulders together playfully, grinning, the serious moment over.

Smiling, Sasuke followed.

A few weeks later, Sasuke was putting the finishing touches on the design

for an office building when his cell phone rang.

Very few people called him at work, especially on his cell. Anything work

related should have gone through the land-line.

Checking the caller ID, he saw Naru's name. Since he'd be off in a few

minutes anyway, he went ahead and answered. "This had better be good,

Uzumaki. I'm at work, and I'm busy."

"You're always busy," Naru lamented. "Aren't you on vacation?"

"Yeah, starting tomorrow. Today I have to finish up my work."

"You don't have anything planned, do you?" His friend's excitement came

through clearly. Something was up.

Sasuke frowned suspiciously. "No. Not really. Why?"

"How would you like to go down to the Caribbean for a week, all expenses

paid?"

Recognizing Naru's cajoling tone, he became even more suspicious.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. My dad asked me to go scout out this resort down there. The

place is on its own little island, and it's for sale. Dad wants me to see if we should

buy it."

"So why do I need to be there?" He tapped his pencil against the table

impatiently, waiting to see what bizarre plan his old buddy had hatched this time.

"Well, there are a couple of reasons. Number one, I might be bored if you

didn't come."

"Yeah, right. Invite one of your little supermodel girlfriends."

Naru sighed. "I'm serious. I'm tired of them. I can't have a simple

conversation with any of them."

Snickering, Sasuke doodled a picture of a deserted island surrounded by

sharks on a piece of scrap paper. "Whose fault is that? You're the one who always

picks girls with the IQ of pocket lint."

That got him another sigh, this one heavier. "There's another reason, too.

Dad's considering making the place a specialty location, like maybe couples-only,

or a gay resort. You need a good vacation, I need a buddy to hang out with and

another pair of eyes to check out the island—it's win-win. Plus, it's been cold as

hell. Wouldn't you like some warm weather?"

Sasuke drew a caricature of Naru on the island, screaming for help, and

himself in a boat off shore, pointing and laughing. Still, despite his exasperation at

his friend's manipulation, the idea did have some merit. The October weather

hadn't been particularly pleasant, and so far November wasn't shaping up to be

any better. And it wasn't as if he had any plans for his time off.

Besides, he did need a good vacation. Sun, sand, fun, and all on Naru's

dime? Not such a terrible idea. And there might even be some hot guys there.

Not one to tolerate silence, especially on the phone, Naru quickly broke in.

"Come on, Sasuke. I seriously wanted to invite you because you're my friend. I'm

not going to be picking your brain the whole time or making you do my work for

me, I promise."

Making his decision, he said, "I know, Naru. I'll come with you."

"Thanks, Sasuke. going to have so much fun! You won't regret this, I

promise."

How many times had he heard that before? He sighed. Maybe this time

would be different.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Early Saturday morning, Naru tossed his suitcase into his trunk and

headed over to Sasuke's. He'd been nervous about going on this scouting trip.

Knowing his dad was counting on him kind of freaked him out, but having Sasuke

agree to come had made him feel a lot better. His friend had always had that effect

on him, from the very first time they'd met in junior high.

School had intimidated the hell out of him. He'd tried to play class clown

and slacker so no one would realize how hard he had to try to barely pass. Sasuke

had seen right through his act, though. Instead of telling everyone Naru was

dumb and making fun of him like a lot of guys in their class would have, Sasuke

had helped him. They'd studied together, and Sasuke had always read over his

papers for him before he turned them in. Their friendship was the main reason he'd

gotten where he was today. He still wasn.t really sure what the other man had

gotten out of their friendship. Sure, he made Sasuke laugh, but anyone could do

that.

Whatever the reason for their friendship, he was grateful for it. Having

Sasuke along on this trip would be fun, and unlike one of his "little supermodel

girlfriends," Sasuke would understand this was a working trip.

He frowned to himself as he drove. Lately, he'd been single more often than

not. Dating had lost much of its appeal after his last few girlfriends. While each of

them had been beautiful, there had been something missing.

Sasuke was right. He did choose women with the IQ of pocket lint. They

weren't interesting outside of the bedroom.

He didn't want to think about why he picked particular women. He knew

his choices would say something about him—probably something bad—so he

turned his thoughts to the trip. Rumor had it the resort they were visiting was not

doing well, hence the owners. desire to sell. If Naru thought they could make the

resort profitable again, his dad said he'd buy it.

God, he hoped he didn't screw this up. He'd never had to make a decision

this big. His dad usually gave him the easy jobs, simple legwork anyone could do,

or using his charm to schmooze with potential business associates. Maybe his dad

should have gone himself, or sent Kyuubi. Naru's frown deepened as he thought of

his perfect older brother. Kyuubi had always done everything he was supposed to do,

and done it exactly right. He wouldn't be freaking out at the prospect of scouting a

potential property. He could probably do it in his sleep.

A knock on his passenger-side window startled him out of his disparaging

thoughts. Sasuke stood beside the car, a questioning expression on his face.

Blushing, Naru put the window down. In his preoccupied state, he hadn't even

noticed he'd pulled up in front of his friend's building.

Leaning on the window ledge, Sasuke arched a brow at him. "What were

you thinking about? You were a million miles away."

He smiled weakly. "Nothing. You ready?"

"I brought my bag down. Can you pop the trunk?"

Sasuke went back to stow his luggage. Then he hopped in, fastened his

seatbelt, and Naru pulled away from the curb.

Nearly eight hours later, they arrived at the tiny island that housed the

resort. Naru stepped onto the pier, watching to make sure Sasuke had his footing.

While his friend normally did well on boats, the rough seas and indifferent driving

of the boat's pilot had made Sasuke a bit green around the gills. "You okay, buddy?"

Giving him a wan look, Sasuke muttered, "I've been better."

The pitiful expression on his friend.s face made Naru want to smile, but he

didn't dare. Poor Sasuke felt bad enough already. Naru rubbed his friend's back.

"We'll get checked in and get you some ginger ale or something. You'll feel better

in no time."

"It's kind of hard to be mad at you when you're being so nice."

The smile he'd been suppressing broke out. "Yeah, I know. That's the plan."

They walked in silence for the next few minutes, taking in the island.s

beauty. The boat pilot trailed behind them with their bags as they made their way

along a winding stone pathway through the foliage. Though Naru had spent time

at Fantasies resorts from Hawaii and the Bahamas to Colorado, he never grew

tired of the beauty of nature. The small island was edged by pristine white sand.

Further inland, lush tropical plants provided a wild riot of color. A soft breeze

carried the scents of flowers and green plants, as well as the salt tang of the ocean.

After the cold, gray weather of Boston, the warmth and color were a welcome

change.

As they passed a large, vibrant orange flower, Sasuke gave him a look of awe.

"This is beautiful."

"Yeah. I hope the resort itself looks as good as the grounds." They were a bit

overgrown, but Naru liked them. Unlike the more cultured, manicured look of

the Fantasies resorts, this place had the air of a secret jungle hideaway. He

wondered if his father might consider keeping the look if they bought the island.

A couple of minutes later they emerged from the jungle path. The resort

stood before them, a large, white, columned building. While the building was

considerably smaller than any of the existing Fantasies resorts, the gleaming paint

and sparkling windows showed how well-cared-for it was. Eager to see the

interior, Naru led the way into the lobby.

Bright, tropical colors greeted them as they stepped inside. A young woman

behind the desk smiled at them. "Hello, and welcome to Pleasure Island. Checking

in?"

An elbow dug into Naru's back.

"Pleasure Island?" Sasuke's stage-whisper was not very quiet.

"Shut up," Naru hissed over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to

the desk clerk. "Yes. I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Tapping a few keys on her computer, the girl found their reservation. "All

right, Mr. Uzumaki, I have a two-bedroom suite for you and Mr. Uchiha, for

seven nights. Is that correct?"

"Perfect."

After tapping a few more keys, she had him sign a couple of papers and

handed him two keycards. "Okay, Mr. Uzumaki. You're all set. You'll be in suite

501. Enjoy your stay at Pleasure Island!"

The instant they were out of earshot of the desk clerk, Sasuke burst out

laughing. "Pleasure Island? Have we stumbled into a bad porn film or something?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Naru laughed too. "Jeez, Sasuke! Did you

have to say something about the name at the desk? I could barely keep a straight

face long enough to check in."

"Now you know how I've felt all these years when you made smart-aleck

remarks and I had to be serious."

Stepping into the elevator, Naru gave his friend a mock scowl. "Oh, shut

up. Aren't you supposed to be sick?"

"I feel a lot better, actually."

Rolling his eyes, Naru punched the button for their floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_Tyrranus: I made this one a bit longer--Yay!_

"Here we are," Naru announced at the door marked 501. Unlocking the

door with his keycard, he threw it open grandly.

Chuckling, Sasuke entered their suite. "Wow." He stopped in the entryway,

looking around at the lovely room. The living area was decorated in white and soft

blues. A sofa, an armchair, a small refrigerator, a coffee table, and an enormous

television took up much of the middle of the room. At the end of the room, a glass

door opened to a small balcony. Near the glass door were a small table and two

chairs. Two doors on either side of the entryway led to bedrooms, one decorated in

green, the other in yellow.

"Nice." Walking to the glass door, Naru peered outside. "We have a great

view."

Sasuke came to stand by his friend. Their room overlooked the jungle

pathway they.d come in on, and beyond that, the ocean. Watching the blue waves

lapping at the shore was almost hypnotic. Finally, Sasuke's stomach growled. "I.m

starving. Let.s put our stuff away and find something to eat."

"Okay. The bags are right over there." Naru gestured toward the sofa.

Grabbing his suitcase, Sasuke smirked at his friend. "I call the green room."

Before Naru could argue, he went to stand in the doorway of the green bedroom.

"Hey! I hate yellow."

The narrowed blue-and-red eyes promised retribution later, but Sasuke

only laughed, unconcerned. "Give me ten minutes, and we can go eat."

"Whatever." Grumbling about his dislike of yellow, Naru disappeared into

the other bedroom.

Sasuke put his suitcase on the bed and went into the bathroom. After a long

day of travel, he felt dirty and tired. A five-minute shower made him feel better. So

did brushing his teeth and putting on fresh clothing. He was trying to finger-comb

his brown hair and lamenting his need for a haircut when he heard his friend

snickering in the other room.

Curious, he followed the sound. "What's so funny?"

Naru emerged from the yellow bedroom, carrying what appeared to be a

small welcome basket. "Can you believe this stuff?" He began pulling things out of

the basket, including glow-in-the-dark condoms, a bottle of lube, and chocolate

body paint, all emblazoned with the Pleasure Island logo. "This place is wild.

Where else would I get chocolate body paint as a welcome gift?" He stopped

talking abruptly, looking down at the items he held. After a pause, he asked,

"What'd you get?"

Sure enough, another basket stood on Sasuke's nightstand. He and Naru

both went into the room, and he peered through the cellophane. Without even

opening the package, he could see edible underwear, strawberry massage oil, and

more condoms. When he met Naru.s mismatched eyes, he expected his friend to

laugh. Naru had been amused when he brought the first basket in. Now, standing

by Sasuke's bed, Naru didn't seem quite so amused. And was that a blush on

Naru's face?

What could possibly have changed in a couple of minutes? Sasuke nudged

Naru. "What's up? Don't tell me you've never seen any of this stuff before."

Naru shrugged. "Nothing's up. Are you hungry?"

Sasuke was confused, but he let the subject drop. "Sure."

"Let's go eat, then." Naru turned and left the bedroom.

Wondering what Naru's deal was, Sasuke trailed after him.

Five minutes later, Sasuke stood in the lobby while Naru asked the desk

clerk about restaurants. Idly scanning the brochures in the rack against the wall,

he noted that Pleasure Island offered scuba diving and snorkeling, a fitness center,

a spa, and a night club. Filing the information away under possible activities for

the week, he turned back to the desk to see if his friend was ready to go.

Apparently having gotten the information he sought, Naru was headed for

him, leaving a blushing, giggling desk clerk in his wake. Couldn't they go

somewhere just once without Naru flirting? Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Flirting

already? We just got here."

"I wasn't flirting. I was being nice."

The mock-innocent expression didn't fool him. "Yeah, right. Maybe I should

have stayed home so I wouldn't cramp your style." His own words surprised him.

He forced a smile and changed the subject to cover the awkward moment. "Where

are we going to eat?"

"According to the clerk, there are four places to eat. There are two

restaurants here in the main building, a snack bar type thing by the pool, and a

casual place out back somewhere."

He didn't even have to think before making a decision. "Let's go to the

casual place. We aren't dressed for a formal restaurant, and I'm not in the mood for

all the fuss tonight."

Nodding, Naru led the way out the back exit. The grounds in the back

appeared tamer and more carefully planned than the riot of plants in the front.

They followed a stone walkway straight back for a while, and then they came to a

fork in the road. Shrugging, his friend went right. Even though Naru didn't seem

very certain about the direction, Sasuke followed without complaint. If they got

lost, they got lost. After all, he was on vacation.

Less than five minutes later, they arrived at a restaurant styled to look like a

large tiki hut. Outside tables flanked both sides. When they entered, the place

wasn't very crowded. The hostess took them to an outside table with a great view

of the beach. Like the desk clerk, she giggled and blushed at Naru's flirty banter.

In her wake, a waiter arrived. The young redhead, who introduced himself

as Kit, gave Naru an extra-bright smile while taking their drink orders.

Not sure whether he should be annoyed or in awe, Sasuke sat back and

stared at his old friend. "I don't believe this."

"What?"

"We've been here less than an hour, and already you've got a fan club."

Eyes widening, Naru gazed at him, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Hating Naru for the way he wrapped people around his little finger—

apparently of both sexes—would be easy if it weren't for the simple fact that half

the time, his friend didn't even realize what he did. Naru had a way of talking and

listening to people as if they mattered, which made people want to be around him.

His sense of humor and looks didn't hurt either. "You're telling me you didn't

notice the way the desk clerk and the hostess were flirting with you? Hell, I think

even the waiter is half in love with you already. Which is not fair, by the way, since

you're not even gay."

To his surprise, Naru actually blushed. Scrubbing a hand through his short

blond hair, he stared down at the table. For several minutes, they sat in awkward

silence.

Confused and concerned by his friend's behavior, Sasuke started to say

something. He had just opened his mouth when Naru burst out, "Do you

think—"

Before he could finish, their waiter returned. "Here are your drinks. Are you

ready to order?"

Sasuke started to tell the young man to give them more time, but Naru's

expression had returned to its usual carefree geniality. "I'll have a club sandwich

and some fries, please."

"And for you, sir?"

Not having considered what he wanted to eat, Sasuke asked for the same,

wanting to get rid of the waiter. When the redhead had gone, he turned his

attention back to his friend. "What were you going to say earlier?"

Naru gave a breezy shrug. "I can't remember now."

The offhand reply didn't fool Sasuke. Naru was upset about something.

Sasuke let it drop, despite a slightly unsettled feeling he couldn't shake.

When their meal ended, Naru breathed an inner sigh of relief. Once Sasuke

had mentioned the waiter's reaction to him, he'd finally noticed it himself. The kid

had been practically falling over himself. On the bottom of their receipt, a string of

numbers and the name "Kit" had been written in small, timid-looking print. He

crumpled the paper, not wanting his friend to see.

As he and Sasuke walked back to their suite, he couldn't help thinking about

his own actions. God, I am a flirt. He'd always gotten by on charm and looks. Was he

really that shallow? Lately, he'd felt like there was a mirror showing him who he

was, how he acted, and he hated what he saw.

Stealing a glance at his friend, he wondered once more why Sasuke put up

with him. He knew why he was Sasuke's friend. What did Sasuke get out of their

friendship, though? For nearly fifteen years, Sasuke had helped him through school,

and out of countless scrapes. He'd always been there, no matter what stupid

stunts Naru pulled. But why?

It sure as hell wasn't his intellect. Obviously money wasn't the reason either,

because having a Senator father pretty much guaranteed money and influence.

Though he tended to be quiet, even shy, Sasuke had plenty of other friends. He was

attractive too, with unusual gray eyes, dark brown hair, and a serious face that lit

up when he smiled. "Hey." An elbow in the side jerked him out of his unhappy

thoughts. "You okay?"

He pasted on his best grin. "I was just thinking. You know how hard that is

for me."

Sasuke gave him a mock scowl. "Well stop. I'm supposed to be on vacation,

which means we're going to have fun if it kills us."

"Don't worry, buddy. We'll have fun."

The next morning, Naru awoke early, determined to shake off the previous

night's self-doubt and show Sasuke the good time he'd promised. Quietly, he

dressed and went into the living room to call room service. Twenty minutes later, a

soft knock on the door signaled the arrival of breakfast. He retrieved the covered

tray, tipped the young lady who'd delivered it, and set the food on the little table

in the corner.

The soft click of a bedroom door opening caught his attention. He grinned

when he caught sight of Sasuke. Usually a morning person, his friend looked none

too awake this morning. Sasuke stood in his bedroom doorway in boxers and a t-

shirt, blinking, his hair standing on end.

"Good morning, sunshine."

A scowl told him more than words could have.

Naru's grin widened. "Come and sit. I have coffee."

Shuffling over like an extra from Night of the Living Dead, Sasuke mumbled,

"Coffee?" When he reached the table, he sat and held out his hands.

Naru poured a mug of the steaming, fragrant brew and put the cup into the

outstretched hands. "Didn't you sleep?"

Taking a sip from his mug seemed to perk him up a bit, at least. "Not very

well. Traveling is fun, but I'll need a day or so to adjust."

Smiling, Naru dished up a plate of bacon, fruit, and toast. "Eat up and wake

up, Mr. Grumpy. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

With a long-suffering sigh, Sasuke selected a bagel and some bacon and

began to eat.

An hour later, they had eaten, showered, and dressed, and they were headed

down to the beach. Naru had arranged for them to go snorkeling this morning.

After lunch, they were booked at the spa. The spa thing seemed kind of girly to

him, but he wanted to check everything out before making a recommendation to

his dad.

Snorkeling turned out to be a lot of fun. He'd been before, in Hawaii, but

Sasuke hadn't. He was fascinated by the colorful fish and coral. Watching Sasuke's

sheer delight gave Naru a warm feeling. Every time the other man pointed out

something, he wanted to smile.

The time flew by, and before he knew it they had to turn in their equipment.

One quick lunch at the snack bar later, they were heading for the spa. Neither of

them was terribly enthusiastic about the rest of the afternoon.

"You didn't book us for seaweed wraps or facials, did you?"

He snickered at Sasuke's anxiety. "No, man. I've got us signed up for

massages and the steam room. There won't be anything weird. I don't think."

Sasuke frowned. "You're not reassuring me here."

The spa was a low, minimalist building. Inside, the décor was spare and

simple, with whites and blues and a lot of bamboo. He could hear the sound of the

ocean louder than he should have been able to, making him think they must be

playing some sort of relaxation tape. The overall effect was nice enough, if a bit

clichéd.

A smiling, forty-ish woman approached them. She wore a soft blue outfit

similar to nurse.s scrubs. Her voice was calm and carefully modulated. "Welcome

to the Sea of Pleasure Spa. Have you made reservations?"

Ignoring Sasuke's twitching lips, he focused on the woman. "Yes. I'm

Naruto Uzumaki. We have a reservation for two o'clock."

Consulting a small notepad, she nodded. "And this must be Mr. Uchiha.

Welcome, both of you." Motioning to a tiny young woman who stood nearby, she

continued, "First need to change into robes. You won't need any other

clothing here. Carrie will take you to the changing room, and then she'll direct you

to the next stop on your road to relaxation. Enjoy!"

The small woman, apparently Carrie, didn't even come up to his shoulder.

"Follow me, please."

Though he could hear Sasuke trying to stifle laughter, probably at the road

to relaxation remark, Naru followed Carrie silently. He nodded and smiled when

she gave them both robes and told them to go to room seven when they had

finished changing. When she left, he rounded on his snickering companion.

"Aren't you supposed to be the serious one here?"

Clearly unable to hold in his mirth any more, Sasuke burst out laughing. "Sea

of Pleasure? Road to relaxation?"

His friend's laughter was infectious, and pretty soon he was cracking up too.

"I think you're a bad influence on me, Uchiha. I've been acting like a two-

year-old ever since we got here, and I blame you."

Kicking off his own sandals, Sasuke gave him a half-hearted shove.

"Whatever. You've been a bad influence on me for years!"

"Shut up and strip. We've got some relaxing to do." The far wall featured

wicker baskets to store belongings in. He went over, grabbed one, and brought the

basket over to the bench. Yanking off his t-shirt, he wadded it up into a ball and

dropped it into the basket. Both his and Sasuke's sandals went in next, and then he

slipped off his shorts and underwear and dropped them in too. Moments later he

was swathed in the thick, soft white robe.

Not surprisingly, Sasuke hadn't finished changing. His carefully folded t-

shirt was in the basket, along with his watch and shorts—also folded—but he still

wore boxers. The teasing remark Naru had been about to make caught in his

throat when his friend stripped his underwear off, folding them as well. Having

never seen the other man naked, he couldn.t help but look a little. His studious

friend was surprisingly well-muscled for being so slim. The completely bizarre

thought that Sasuke had been working out flitted through his mind before he

forced himself to glance away.

Trying not to think about what else he had seen, he took the basket back to

where it belonged. Over his shoulder, he asked, "You ready?"

"All set."

Three hours later, having been massaged, rubbed down with some kind of

weird, minty herbal thing, and steamed, Naru had to admit he felt relaxed. "That

wasn't so bad, was it?"

Grinning, Sasuke finished dressing and put on his watch. "There might have

been something to the road to relaxation thing after all."

"What do you say we keep relaxing for the rest of the evening? We can

check out the bars and club tomorrow night."

"Sounds good."

On the way back to their suite, they picked up burgers, fries, and sodas from

the snack bar by the pool. They ate out on the balcony, and talked a little about

things they could do over the next few days. When they were finished, Naru let

the warm sunshine and soft ocean breeze lull him into a doze.

" going to get sunburned if we don't go inside."

The thought of looking and feeling like a steamed lobster for the rest of the

vacation made Naru open his eyes. "You're right. Let's go in."

Once inside, Sasuke found a movie they hadn't seen on television, and they

settled in to watch. The movie, an action-thriller, turned out to be almost all

explosions and chase scenes. After laughing their way through the ridiculous film,

they both decided to turn in. Although he tended to stay up late on normal nights,

Naru found he was tired. Even so, he didn't go to sleep right away. His brain

didn't want to shut off. A lot of things went through his mind: the weird,

depressing thoughts he'd been having lately, the waiter at the restaurant, his

thoughts about the resort. The one thing he couldn't seem to get out of his head

was Sasuke, in the change room at the spa. It was the last thought in his mind as he

went to sleep.


End file.
